What Could Headache Be a Sign of?

Primaryheadachesare the ones that happen in the absence of other medical conditions. The headache itself is the main problem, and it often comes in the form of attacks or episodes.

There are three most common types of primaryheadaches. They are

1.Tension headache

• This is also called muscle contraction orstressheadaches.
• This is the most common headache that makes up 90% of all headaches.
• 它会影响到78%的美国人在某些时候in their life.
• You feel tight pressure all over your head, sometimes in your neck and shoulder, and soreness in your temples.
• These headaches are usually due to stress,anxiety, excessive worry, ortiredness.

2.Migraine headache

• This affects nearly 15% of American adults.
• This typically lasts between 4 and 72 hours.
• It is uncommon to have more than one attack ofmigrainein a day.
• Migrainepaincan vary in location; it can develop on just one side of the head, behind the eye, in the back or front of the head, or felt throughout the head. The headache is often more severe on one side of the head.
• The episodes ofmigrainesare usually triggered by hormonal fluctuations, physical activities, noise, or sudden exposure to bright light.
• Nausea,vomiting, visual, and auditory disturbances may accompany a migraine headache.
• Things like lying down and switching off the lights or going in a darker room usually relieve a migraine headache.
• You are more likely to get a migraine if you have close relatives suffering from it.

3.Cluster headache

• The least common type of headaches, affecting less than 1 in 1,000 people.
• These are sudden, very painful headaches on one side of your head.
• Acluster headachelasts about 30 to 90 minutes. You can have eight such clusters/attacks in a single day.
• Cluster headachesinvolve only one side of the head, which is typically the temple or around the eye.
• 通常,体征和症状s, such aseye redness, tearing, ornasal congestion, develop on the side of the face where the headache is located.
• Triggering factors include lack ofsleepor irregularsleep,alcohol(especially red wine), andsmoking.
• Head injuryand family history make you more likely to get cluster headaches.

Headaches, other than primary headaches, are known as secondary headaches, and they present as signs to other illnesses.

Digestive systemdisorders, such asdyspepsia,gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD),inflammatory bowel disease(IBD), etc. are the most common causes of headaches. This type of headache, also known as gastrointestinal headache, may be considered either as a primary headache (migraine) or secondary headache due to disturbances in the digestive system.

Other most common causes of secondary headaches include:

• Refractive errors (such asnearsightednessandfarsightedness)
• Hypertension(high blood pressure)
• Viral infections (such asinfluenzaand coronavirus disease 2019 orCOVID-19)
• Any kind offever
• Acutesinusitis(sinus infection)
• Dehydrationdue tovomiting,diarrhea
• Hangovers
• Dental problems
• Ear infection(particularly middleear infections)
• Glaucoma(an eye disorder caused by high pressure in the eyes)
• Motion sickness(travel sickness)
• High altitude sickness (mountain sickness)
• Overuse ofpainmedication (rebound headache)
• A side effect of certain medications
• Headtrauma
• Foods items containing monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Less common but serious causes of headache include:

• Epilepsy(a brain disorder characterized by frequent, unpredictableseizures)
• Stroke(blocked blood vessel or bleeding in a certain area of the brain resulting inweaknesson one side of the body)
• Intracranialhematoma(collection of blood in the skull, most often as a result ofhead injury)
• Brain tumor
• Trigeminal neuralgia(a disorder involving irritation of certain nerves connecting the face and brain)
• Meningitis
• Encephalitis(brain inflammation)
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Abrain aneurysm(a bulge in an artery in your brain)
• Arnold-Chiari malformation (a structural problem at the base of your skull occurring by birth)
• Brainarteriovenous malformation(an abnormal formation of brain blood vessels)

You should always visit a doctor if you are experiencing any severe and sudden headache for the first time in your life or when you experience a headache with unusual symptoms, such as weakness in your limbs. Alternatively, you can call on 911, the emergency helpline number.